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D&D General The D&D Monster I have never used (or faced) and probably never will.
- Thread starter el-remmen
- Start date
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Yep, this.
Sure, but can't you name even some of the creatures you feel that way about? Or why?
Echohawk
Shirokinukatsukami fan
Of the monsters I've covered in the Monster ENCyclopedia series, I don't recall ever using a catoblepas, a flumph, an ixitxachitl, or a peryton.
As far as other creatures go, the tarrasque I've used but only once, as a side encounter leading up to the climax of a campaign, where the goal wasn't to kill it, but simply to avoid getting killed by it on the way to the real villain of the story.
I really like strange creatures, and have used many of them over the years. Still, my best estimate is that there are currently between 9000 and 10000 unique D&D creatures, so even if you are a voracious consumer of unusual creatures, you'd need to run a lot of games to make any kind of dent in the total.
As far as other creatures go, the tarrasque I've used but only once, as a side encounter leading up to the climax of a campaign, where the goal wasn't to kill it, but simply to avoid getting killed by it on the way to the real villain of the story.
I really like strange creatures, and have used many of them over the years. Still, my best estimate is that there are currently between 9000 and 10000 unique D&D creatures, so even if you are a voracious consumer of unusual creatures, you'd need to run a lot of games to make any kind of dent in the total.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Look at my avatar - it is a bullywug with a guitar that another ENworld user made for me back in like 2001! This was because my very first "successful" post on ENworld was entitled 'BULLYWUGS GOT THE SHAFT'
complaining about how they had nerfed one of my favorite D&D creatues in 3E by taking away his spring attack (which I promptly gave back to them in 3E and now 5E).
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Lots of mentions of the tarrasque, which sure. . . but also it a unique and legendary monster - so I doubt most people get to a place where it'd make sense even if they wanted to use it. I did once run a one-off based on an IRON DM entry, where the PCs were stuck in a "tarrasque nest" beneath a mountain under the sea. The idea being that a tarrasque lays a clutch of eggs in this maze and then leaves to do whatever tarrasques do every 1000 years. Meanwhile, over the next however many centuries the babies grow and fight and eat each other until the last one falls asleep to grow full size and then emerge. So the PCs had to deal with the babies to keep the actual tarrasque from terrorizing the world in a century or two. Great fun!
Laurefindel
Hero
Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
There was just nothing right about that monster.
From the basic concept ("It's an armadillo, see, but with a ruby stuck in its forehead), to the advanced concept (it just kinda, lets itself be captured and either wills itself to die, or summons monsters to attack the party so it can watch the combat with a "morbid fascination").
Plus the name. "You've encountered a carbuncle." Ewwwwwww.
The Fiend Folio was both the best, and the very very worst of D&D monsters.
Bitbrain
Black Lives Matter
Quite a few actually, but I suppose the most well-known is probably the Illithid/Mind Flayer. I’ve never run a combat encounter with one, and am unlikely to ever do so.
That said, I have used them for social interactions with the PCs, mostly because I have this weird idea about making the illithids a Lawful Good people, but changing absolutely nothing else about them.
That said, I have used them for social interactions with the PCs, mostly because I have this weird idea about making the illithids a Lawful Good people, but changing absolutely nothing else about them.
Tyler Do'Urden
Soap Maker
Dude? Dude!
Now imagine him six feet tall, intelligent, armed, and capable of spellcasting.
Run. Not that it will do you any good.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
I don't think I've ever run an illithid either, not that I can recall. I did once run a super intelligent gorilla with a visible glowing brain sticking out of its skull that I gave a mindflayer mental blast to, though!
Tyler Do'Urden
Soap Maker
Back in college my campaign world featured the Gnomish "Hampstire Lancers" - dragoon pistol wielding, giant "space" hamster riding cavalry inspired by the Bengal Lancers.
They were actually pretty formidable...
Laurefindel
Hero
Other than the weird-ass or tongue-in-cheek joke-monsters such as the Mauler and Wolf in sheep's clothing, there are a few 5e Monster Manual critters I have a hard time taking seriously. The Flumph is one of them.
Then there are the too-alien-for-my-fantasy-taste such as the Xorn, which I don't think I'll ever use.
Finally, there are the few nice-to-know creatures that will unlikely ever serve as an antagonist for my games, or blatant deus ex-machina creatures that do little but steal the players' spotlight, such as the Solar Angel, that could have been left out of the MM as far as I'm concerned.
Then there are the too-alien-for-my-fantasy-taste such as the Xorn, which I don't think I'll ever use.
Finally, there are the few nice-to-know creatures that will unlikely ever serve as an antagonist for my games, or blatant deus ex-machina creatures that do little but steal the players' spotlight, such as the Solar Angel, that could have been left out of the MM as far as I'm concerned.
zarionofarabel
Adventurer
Dang it! Gimme a second I'll go check Wikipedia as I don't even own a Monster Manual any more...
...skims several websites detailing the stranger D&D monsters...
...realizes how many strange monsters D&D really has...
...I don't know what to choose. There are so many that just make me laugh when I read the description of them. I know I never used any of the demons that were not the one type that looked like the Balrog from LotR.
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
what!!!! the capture of a mated pair of wild Giant Hamsters helped to entirely define the career of my PC Orbril the Gnome. I originally conceived of him as an alchemist but with the Hamsters he decided to start a travelling Circus. He also became a Hamster breeder and on his travels would leave Hamster pups with various gnome burrows he passed, thus spreading the species around the world and establishing the close connection to gnomes.
Orbrils performed with Hamsters, had Hamsters pull his wagon, ridden Hamsters in to battle, built Hamster farms, gifted hamsters to Kings and Emperors, taken Hamsters to the Fae Realms and done so for over 100 years
Ralif Redhammer
Legend
I've never used a Tarrasque - I had planned to end a campaign with a tarrasque wrecking the city, but the campaign fell apart before we got anywhere near that.
Over the years I've used all sorts of weirdo monsters. Flumphs, catopblepas, stwingers, umplebys, tirapheg, and more. My feeling is that using unusual monsters keeps players on their toes - everyone knows what to expect from a dragon or gelatinous cube, but what will they do when they have to face a void drake or tentamort?
In the current edition, I've yet to use Intellect Devourers. I honestly don't want to throw a monster at them that any PC is what, two failed checks away from complete and total death from.
Over the years I've used all sorts of weirdo monsters. Flumphs, catopblepas, stwingers, umplebys, tirapheg, and more. My feeling is that using unusual monsters keeps players on their toes - everyone knows what to expect from a dragon or gelatinous cube, but what will they do when they have to face a void drake or tentamort?
In the current edition, I've yet to use Intellect Devourers. I honestly don't want to throw a monster at them that any PC is what, two failed checks away from complete and total death from.
I stand corrected. Based on their picture in the SJ1 MM, I just always pictured them as uselessly lumbering through space threatening to enter your air envelope and deplete and then just float away.what!!!! the capture of a mated pair of wild Giant Hamsters helped to entirely define the career of my PC Orbril the Gnome. I originally conceived of him as an alchemist but with the Hamsters he decided to start a travelling Circus. He also became a Hamster breeder and on his travels would leave Hamster pups with various gnome burrows he passed, thus spreading the species around the world and establishing the close connection to gnomes.
Orbrils performed with Hamsters, had Hamsters pull his wagon, ridden Hamsters in to battle, built Hamster farms, gifted hamsters to Kings and Emperors, taken Hamsters to the Fae Realms and done so for over 100 years
For Orvils next feat he should start a giant space hamster watch tours throughout wild space similar to a New England whale watch.
100%. Its been awhile since I've played with people who knew the MM's that much but I've still seldom used any WotC MM's, and have opted for 5E Foes, Tome of Beast 1 & 2, Creature Codex and the Tome of Horrors in my 5E games. If nothing but to keep it interesting for myself.